Midday Snack
by fyd818
Summary: There are few things in life some pocky and a lot of TLC won't cure. :Shiki x Rima:


Disclaimer: I don't own _Vampire Knight_ or any places, things, characters, or ideas therein. The aforementioned belong to Matsuri Hino and Viz Media. I am making no profit from this story in any way, shape, or form. It was written for entertainment purposes only, not monetary gain.

Summary: There are few things in life some pocky and a lot of TLC won't cure. :Shiki x Rima:

Rating: K+

Warnings: Fluff and cuteness

Pairing: Shiki/Rima

Part: 1/1

**Special Thanks:** goes out to _Rima's Biggest Fan_ and _AyasumiMamera_, my reviewers for _Model Perfect_, and to those who added it to their favorites lists. I'm infinitely thankful to you all!

**Author's Note:** I guess this could kind of be a companion piece/sequel of sorts to my first VK fic, _Model Perfect_, but I'm pretty sure it can stand on its own. I'm not sure what exactly triggered my thought process for this fic, but I liked the idea and decided to go for it. Again, I've only seen the anime and read one chapter of the manga, so a thousand apologies for any mistakes in characterization, timeline, etc. I really, really hope you enjoy reading it, and thank you so much for reading this little piece!

* * *

***~Midday Snack~***

_.:fyd818:._

* * *

Just as the birds began their morning concert, Touya Rima crawled into bed, blue eyes already heavy with sleep. She yawned delicately into her purple blanket, then curled on her side and snuggled her head of honey hair into her pillow. While the rest of the world got started on its day, the world of vampires cycled around to its end.

Rima already doubted she'd be getting much sleep, since her mother had been on the phone several times even before sunup arranging a photoshoot scheduled to encompass the entire afternoon. Once again Rima would be able to snatch only a few hours of sleep. She didn't mind too much, though, since making the discovery that she actually _enjoyed_ modeling.

Perhaps, she mused lethargically as she lingered in the misty realm between waking and sleeping, instead of it being the modeling itself she enjoyed, maybe the company she usually had during it made the experience enjoyable. She fell asleep with a smile on her face-

- Only to wake an indeterminate time later to a _rap-rap-rap-rap_ on her window.

Sitting straight up in her bed, Rima blinked the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes and turned toward her window. Tendrils of sunlight outlined the square space, peeking past her room-darkening drapes to make her squint. Yawning, she slipped out of bed, padding barefoot across her room to twitch open the curtains and investigate the cause. She half-expected a bird to be the culprit; instead she found the familiar face of her best friend staring back at her through the glass.

"Senri!" Throwing open the drapes, Rima unlatched the window and pushed it up, ignoring the heat on her skin from the sun as she reached out to take his arm and help him through the window. "What are you doing out in broad daylight?" As soon as Senri's feet hit the floor, she quickly shut the window and yanked the drapes closed again, plunging them into comfortable darkness.

He blinked his icy blue eyes at her, one hand nervously reaching up to ruffle his wild red hair. "I wondered if I could stay with you until time to go to the shoot?" He spoke shyly, not quite meeting her eyes as he shuffled his feet anxiously against her carpet.

Now her eyes had readjusted to the dark, Rima saw the redness spreading up his neck and into his face. At first she thought he was blushing, but then she noticed the same thing happening to his hands and the parts of his arms not covered by his shirtsleeves. "Senri!" Grasping his cuff, she lifted his arm to get a better look at the spreading redness. "You're sunburned! You know how easily you burn. Why'd you go out in the sun?"

Pulling his arm free, Senri shrugged carelessly. "I had to wait for Mom to fall asleep," he said by way of explanation.

Sighing, Rima went to her bedside table, digging around through the odds and ends she kept in the drawer until she found the aloe vera she kept there. Turning around, she motioned for Senri to sit down in her desk chair as she poured a generous amount of the faintly fragrant gel into her palm. He would heal on his own in a few hours, probably just in time for the shoot. But until he did, the aloe vera would help with the pain.

Taking the bottle from her, Senri applied the gel to his face while Rima worked on his free arm. "I thought it would be easier if I came over so you and your mother wouldn't have to come over and pick me up before we go to the shoot."

Rima heard what he wasn't saying, but wisely kept her mouth shut. She took the capped tube of aloe vera back and returned it to her nightstand drawer. "Are you hungry?" she asked, pulling out the box of pocky she kept hidden. Her mother didn't approve of her eating sweets when she was supposed to be asleep, or right before, but she knew the treat might help her friend feel better.

As she'd hoped, Senri's eyes brightened at the sight of the box. "That sounds good."

The two climbed onto Rima's bed and sat cross-legged as they shared the pocky. Since Senri still had aloe vera on his hands, Rima held out a piece at a time for him to take in his mouth, then took a piece herself, repeating the process until they'd finished half the box. By that time the angry red staining Senri's skin had faded into a bright pink. "Feel better?" Rima asked as she closed up the box and returned it to its hiding place.

Stretching out on his back on the other side of the bed, careful to make sure the aloe vera didn't get on her pillows or blankets, Senri closed his eyes and nodded. "I think it'll probably be gone by the time we get to the shoot." He sounded tired all of a sudden, and Rima's heart twinged in sympathy.

Reclining on her own side, she licked her lips to get rid of the last traces of pocky before she spoke. "Probably." Closing her own eyes, she reached across the space separating them and took her friend's hand, lacing their fingers together securely. For a moment Senri stiffened, then let out a sigh and relaxed, allowing his fingers to curl with hers.

They lay silently for a few minutes. Rima felt herself drifting off towards sleep again. She wasn't sure what her mother would say when she found out Senri had come over, but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. For now, she just felt very glad Shiki trusted her enough to come to her and let her help him.

"Hey, Rima?" Senri suddenly said, his voice thick with sleep, startling her with his wakefulness.

"Yeah, Senri?" She cracked open one eye and rolled it in his direction.

The slighest smile curled up her friend's lips as he spoke again. "Thank you."

Satisfied, Rima closed her eye again. She hitched herself a little closer to him to rest her head on his shoulder. "You're welcome." Then, right before they both fell asleep, she whispered, "Sleep well and sweet dreams, Senri."

And indeed they were.

***~The End~***

_**Author's Ending Notes:**_ Just a small glimpse into the life of Senri and Rima as kids (I picture them around ten-twelve in this fic). I've an idea for another Shiki/Rima fic, this one when they're the ages they are in the anime, so I'm looking forward to writing that one and getting a feel for their older selves. In the meanwhile, thank you so much for reading _Midday Snack_, and I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
